You can instantly compare prices and shop from retailers that don't have a brick-and-mortar store in your area, but shipping something out of state or from another country can dramatically alter the price of any product price you see online.

Retailers realize that these shipping fees can be a deterrent to making a purchase, though, and have come up with incentives: free shipping on your purchase after you reach a certain price point (on average that free shipping price point was $82 this year); free shipping promotions around retail holidays; or free shipping offers on products they are looking to clear out.

While these options sound appealing on the surface, they may ultimately cause you to buy things you don't need simply to qualify for free shipping. Luckily, there are simply tricks to help you get free shipping on virtually everything you buy online.

1. Ask for a Free Shipping CodeMany times, retailers have free shipping codes that will work at checkout, but they don't publicly display them. To get access to these codes, sometimes all it takes is a simple inquiry. Email the company, tweet to it, or make use of on-site chat boxes. Once a retailer knows you are interested in a product, they will be more likely to provide you with an free shiping incentive to complete your purchase.

2. Add Extra Items to Qualify for Free ShippingIf a retailer does offer a free shipping incentive once you reach a certain price point, add extra items to reach that limit. Try to purchase items you'll need in the future, or items that your household needs, such as extra batteries on Amazon. If worse comes to worse, you can always qualify for free shipping on your order and then return items you discover you really don't need.

3. Order for Free In-Store PickupMany mainstream retailers with locations across the country will offer the option of in-store pickup, which allows you to avoid shipping costs. This tactic works best for items that are easily transportable and retailers with locations near your home. Ordering online and opting for in-store pickup is not the same as just going to the retailer and buying in-store. Rather this method allows you to make use of online-only deals and coupons, while also avoiding shipping fees.

4. Take Advantage of Price-Matching PoliciesTarget, Walmart, Best Buy, Toys R Us, and many other retailers offer price-matching policies to incentivize you to buy through them. You have to read the fine print, but many price-matching policies will offer you the product you want at the lowest available online price, and will do away with shipping fees in the process. It's not every store, so it's important to check ahead of time, but when it works, it does away will shipping charges automatically.

5. Sign Up For Retailer Cards Certain retailers offer membership programs that provide free shipping, along with other buying incentives. For example, Target REDCard is technically a debit card that connects to your existing checking account and offers a free signup. REDCard Members receive free shipping at Target.com, a free 30-day return policy, and 5 percent off all purchases.

6. Shop Through ShopRunner And Score Free 2-Day ShippingShoprunner is similar to Amazon Prime, but extends free 2-day shipping offers to a larger quantity of online retailers. The service requires an annual membership fee of $79, and offers a monthly payment option of $8.95 per month. To get free shipping, you can shop products at ShopRunner.com and check out at retailer checkouts, or start your shopping at retailer sites and select ShopRunner qualifying products. ShopRunner also provides a complimentary free membership to American Express cardholders, member--only deals, free returns, and a 30-day free trial offer to test the service before you buy.

7. Search For A Free Shipping Promo CodeOnline coupon codes for free shipping are out there if you take the time to look. Simply search the retailer and words "Free shipping" to find valid promo codes. A great way to start your search is by visiting FreeShipping.org, which is dedicated to helping shoppers find free shipping and other promo codes at online retailers. Another trick is to instal a browser extension, such as PriceBlink to automatically discover site-specific coupon codes, such as free shipping, when you land on any retailer site.

Back to top Previous : Netflix Prepping 4K Content, Including House of Cards Season... Vimeo Adds Subtitles, More On-Demand Options Next : By Kara Kamenec

Kara Kamenec is the commerce editor for Ziff Davis, and in-house online shopping writer for PCMag. She is a new media and e-commerce writer with a focus on online consumer advocacy and digital retail innovation. At Ziff Davis, she expands and integrates commerce-focused editorial into various digital properties. On PCMag she covers e-commerce, social commerce, online shopping, and retail tech trends. Prior to joining Ziff Davis, Kara covered the social commerce and online deal industries for a variety of media publications. She has reported on... More »

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LAS VEGAS—Move over, OnePlus One. The most intriguing, most desirable new phone at CES is covered in Kevlar and can store up to 320GB. The Saygus V2—pronounced "V-squared"—is a geek's dream phone, designed by geeks, with a slew of unique features.

The down side: it comes from the ill-fated Saygus, which has been struggling to put out a smartphone since 2009. Back then, the Saygus VPhone ran Android 1.6 and promised video calling over Verizon's 3G network. Saygus kept saying the VPhone was "coming soon" until 2011, at which point it basically went underground.

The small Utah-based company has learned from its years of failure, CEO Chad Sayers and his co-founder and brother Russ Sayers said. Rather than relying on Verizon, which kept ordering new certification tests, they're going to sell the V2 unlocked. They've learned a lot about building and sourcing phones in China, and have put sufficient staff in Shenzhen to oversee production, something that was a big problem with the original VPhone.

VIEW ALL PHOTOS IN GALLERY

So what about the phone? It could be that smaller, premium Android phone for the U.S. that some of us have been waiting for. It has a 5-inch, 1080p LCD screen but it's only 2.63 inches wide, making it very easy to use with one hand. There's almost no bezel around the screen, just a Kevlar ridge to protect it from drops. The back is Kevlar, too, and the whole thing is waterproof.

The phone uses a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and runs Android 4.4.4, with a Lollipop update coming. If you want to install Lollipop yourself, you can easily root it or even install another OS from one of the MicroSD cards. Chad Sayers said Saygus went with the Snapdragon 801 rather than a newer chip because it's consistent, stable, and easier to get through carrier labs.

Oh, yeah—those MicroSD cards. Along with the 64GB of internal storage, there are two MicroSD card slots under the back cover, allowing for that potential 320GB.

The phone has some fresh networking and audio technologies. It's using the same Qualcomm modem found in the iPhone 6, the one that's compatible with all four major U.S. carriers. Saygus may turn off the Sprint bands if Sprint doesn't want to carry the phone, Chad Sayers said, but they're definitely working with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. On the side, there's a 60GHz WiGig transmitter; that's a short-range, high-speed wireless technology that Qualcomm is pushing for video streaming and file transfers. The Kevlar back has an additional built-in fractal antenna to improve reception.

The front-facing speakers come from Harman/Kardon. The cameras are huge and have optical image stabilization. The main 21-megapixel Sharp camera actually goes all the way through the body of the phone, and there's also a 13-megapixel front-facing camera. There's a hardware shutter button on the side, as well as a fingerprint scanner.

Saygus had a bunch of prototypes in its booth, but they all looked a little bit unfinished. The one thing I could see was that the phone looked and felt good to me. The screen has deep colors, and the phone is a great size for a 5-inch device. I'm not sold on the side-mounted fingerprint scanner, but there are enough cool features in here that not every one needs to be a hit. The front-facing speakers are, as always with front-facing speakers, an excellent touch.

After seeing the V2, I was close to declaring it the best phone of CES. I'm close to wanting it to be my next phone, as well. But after the four-year-long saga of the VPhone and watching OnePlus struggle to fulfill demand, to the point where we had to pull our Editors' Choice badge from the OnePlus One, I'm going to have hope, not faith.

Sayers says that the V2 will go on presale within a few weeks, and will appear actually on the market shortly after that, at a price similar to other premium smartphones. (So, around $650 unlocked.) Russ Sayers said they'll be able to make at least 2,000 phones a day and have room to ramp up beyond that, which would make them a decent niche player. That sounds great. That would be great! Let's see if it happens.

VIEW ALL PHOTOS IN GALLERY Back to top Previous : Yezz Eyes Unlocked Market With Android, Windows Phones By Sascha Segan Lead Analyst, Mobile

PCMag.com's lead mobile analyst, Sascha Segan, has reviewed hundreds of smartphones, tablets and other gadgets in more than 9 years with PCMag. He's the head of our Fastest Mobile Networks project, one of the hosts of the daily PCMag Live Web show and speaks frequently in mass media on cell-phone-related issues. His commentary has appeared on ABC, the BBC, the CBC, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, and in newspapers from San Antonio, Texas to Edmonton, Alberta. Segan is also a multiple award-winning travel writer, having contributed... More »

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